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Nearly three years to the day after the Colts officially released Peyton Manning, the team announced that it would not negotiate to re-sign wide receiver Reggie Wayne on March 6.
The decision marked the end of a Hall of Fame career Wayne had with the Colts.
Today, Wayne wrote a letter thanking the fans of Indianapolis.
In the letter, which you should read if you haven't, Wayne thanks the fans, coaches, and players who have been a part of the Colts organization.
As weird as it is to think about, this letter is the final moment of Wayne's career in Indianapolis.
And what a career it was. Wayne will leave Indianapolis as the second all-time receiver in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He was also the longest tenured receiver in Colts history, surpassing both Marvin Harrison and Raymond Berry.
Wayne also holds the record for most games played as a Colt, as he broke Manning's record this year. A game after breaking that record, Wayne played in his 142nd win with the Colts, setting a franchise record.
Three years ago, Wayne hit free agency as well, but elected to return to the Colts. Many expected Wayne to bolt and chase another ring, as the Colts were in clear re-building mode at the time. In no small part due to Chuck Pagano, Wayne returned to the Colts for the "reloading" process, not rebuilding.
The finest game of Wayne's career came in the first season back with the Colts. The #ChuckStrong Game showed that Wayne still had it, and then some.
Since being released, it was mostly radio silence from Wayne. We had reports that Wayne would like to play one more year. Some Colts fans were wondering why Wayne hadn't thanked the fans until this point, leading to some minor speculation that there could be some hard feelings on Wayne's end.
That was mostly put to rest when reports emerged that Wayne told new Colts' receiver Andre Johnson that Indianapolis was a great place to play. With Wayne's letter, that has been completely put to rest.
In the letter, Wayne thanks Colts fans for helping to make Indianapolis a "home away from home."
I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to thank Reggie Wayne for all of the phenomenal Colts memories and moments he provided for us, as fans, in his 14 years wearing the horseshoe.